IST2003-1HY-WI14 - Intro to the Hebrew Bible

Instructor: Amy Erickson, Assistant Professor of Hebrew Bible
E-mail: aerickson@iliff.edu

Teaching Assistant: David King
E-mail: dking@iliff.edu

pdf of DRAFT SYLLABUS , updated 12/29/13. This syllabus is designed to give you an overview of the course. Now that the class is underway, I suggest you refer to it only to give you a sense of the big picture. *RELY on canvas for the most up-to-date descriptions of assignments and deadlines.

pdf: list of book review choices , updated 12/29/13

What is the Bible? Listen to this short video by Tim Beal: http://vimeo.com/75336079

Course Synopsis

This course introduces students to important themes in the Hebrew Bible, including creation, identity and ethnicity, history and memory, power, violence and war, hope, justice, and the nature of God and the gods. The course also covers the historical development of the literature, religion, and culture of ancient Israel, and methods and interpretive strategies for understanding ancient texts.

• The Bible (*New Revised Standard Version; NRSV*).
  Note: Any study bible is fine as long as the translation is NRSV. I recommend HarperCollins Study Bible: Student Edition: Fully Revised & Updated. Edited by Harold W. Attridge, et al. Society of Biblical Literature; HarperOne, 2006. ISBN-10: 0060786841 | ISBN-13: 978-0060786847
  
• Coogan, Michael. A Brief Introduction to the Old Testament. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011. ISBN-10: 0199830118 | ISBN-13: 978-0199830114 | Edition: 2    *Pages numbers for the first edition (2009) of Coogan’s Introduction will be listed as well
• Brown, Michael Joseph. What They Don’t Tell You: A Survivor’s Guide to Biblical Studies. Louisville: Westminster Knox, 2000. ISBN-10: 066422220X ·  ISBN-13: 978-0664222208
  *Note: I’ll be asking you to read Michael Brown’s book prior to the first class session
  
• Matthews, Victor Harold, and Don Carlos Benjamin. Old Testament Parallels: Laws and Stories from the Ancient Near East. Revised and Expanded 3^rd Version. Mahwah, N.J: Paulist Press, 2007. ISBN-10: 0809144352 ·  ISBN-13: 978-0809144358

See Taylor Library's list of online book sellers for purchasing options.

Course Overview

Course Objectives

Evaluation

Policies and Services

Incompletes:  If incompletes are allowed in this course, see the Master's Student Handbook for Policies and Procedures.

Pass/Fail:  Masters students wishing to take the class pass/fail should discuss this with the instructor by the second class session.

Academic Integrity and Community Covenant:  All students are expected to abide by Iliff’s statement on Academic Integrity, as published in the Masters Student Handbook, or the Joint PhD Statement on Academic Honesty, as published in the Joint PhD Student Handbook, as appropriate.  All participants in this class are expected to be familiar with Iliff’s Community Covenant.

Accommodations:  Iliff engages in a collaborative effort with students with disabilities to reasonably accommodate student needs.   Students are encouraged to contact their assigned advisor to initiate the process of requesting accommodations.  The advising center can be contacted at advising@iliff.edu or by phone at 303-765-1146. 

Writing Lab:  Grammar and organization are important for all written assignments.  Additional help is available from the Iliff Writing Lab, which is available for students of any level who need help beginning an assignment, organizing thoughts, or reviewing a final draft. 

Inclusive Language:  It is expected that all course participants will use inclusive language in speaking and writing, and will use terms that do not create barriers to classroom community. 

Degree Learning Goals

Posts to discussions that have ended will not be accepted. The point is to have conversation. If you don't show up for the conversation when it's happening, you miss out. Posting just for my benefit defeats the purpose.

Assignments submitted late are marked down at the rate of a grade per day.